New Delhi: Research suggests that in the coming decade, the United Kingdom is likely to face a new challenge—finding employment for young people. A poll by Irish consultancy firm, Accenture, suggests that artificial intelligence is increasingly replacing entry-level roles.
Research showed that the numbers have risen since the survey was last conducted two years ago. The study further found a rising fear of net job losses across the economy among business leaders and executives.
The survey included 17 industries across the UK and Northern Ireland, between February and March 2026. Around 2,085 employees and 510 business executives participated in the survey.
How does it affect the younger generations?
The survey further found that younger generations are at the most risk. Two years ago, almost 40 per cent of executives believed that AI would boost demand for entry-level roles, but in 2026, only 15 per cent still think this. Now, 40 per cent of business leaders expect AI to reduce entry-level roles.
And almost all believe that young people trying to enter the job market will face the brunt.
Authors of the report warned Bloomberg about an emerging vicious cycle.
“If leaders assume displacement is inevitable, the incentive to invest in workforce transition weakens,” they said.
The Accenture poll, however, also pointed out that almost a fifth of employees in the UK now use three times more generative AI. Employees who want to be fast and enhance their work are quickly adapting.
But the research also showed that progress is much slower. Artificial Intelligence is used for minor tasks rather than key processes. Businesses have not yet made changes in their workflow or systems to accommodate AI.
The survey further revealed how the use of AI differs between executives and employees. Most employees are enhancing their work, making it efficient; meanwhile, bosses view it mainly as a cost-cutting measure rather than a tool to further the business and the economy.
Unemployment among people aged 16-24 years is the highest in the UK in over a decade. As steep employment costs and cheaper and faster AI rose, so did its effect on white-collar workers. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described this as a “pressing problem”
Despite the rising joblessness, Accenture UK and Ireland CEO, Matt Prebble, told Bloomberg that Britain simply has to “get its swagger back”. He pushed market players to use AI as a “driver of quality and revenue, not just efficiency.”
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)